Intelsat S.A. announced today that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, has approved its Plan of Reorganization, marking the final Court milestone in the Company’s financial restructuring process. Intelsat is poised to emerge from the process in early 2022 upon receipt of regulatory approvals, completion of certain corporate actions, and satisfaction of other customary conditions.
The confirmed Plan will reduce Intelsat’s debt by more than half – from approximately $16 billion to $7 billion – and position the Company for long-term success as it innovates and brings new services to market. The Plan was supported by all creditor groups across Intelsat’s capital structure following extensive negotiations and the ultimate consensual resolution of a multitude of complex issues.
“Today’s Plan confirmation is a key milestone in Intelsat’s transformation. We have achieved all of the goals we identified at the outset of the process, including a substantial reduction of our legacy debt burden,” said Intelsat’s Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Spengler. “Throughout the process, we have driven our business forward at full speed – launching new satellites, advancing the accelerated clearing of C-band spectrum, acquiring Gogo’s commercial aviation business, progressing our next generation network and service strategy, and serving customers every day with the excellence for which we are known. We greatly appreciate the dedication and contributions of our employees, the support of our valued customers, vendors, and other partners, and the collaboration with our financial stakeholders as we pave the way for future innovation and growth.”
“With a strengthened balance sheet, strong operating model, and unparalleled global orbital and spectrum rights, scale, and partnerships, we will be better positioned to advance our strategic objectives, accelerate our growth trajectory, and fuel the success of our customers and other key stakeholders. Our goals include building the world’s first global 5G satellite-based, software-defined, unified network,” Spengler continued. “For nearly 60 years, Intelsat has been respected for innovation, reliability, sector leadership, and high-performing services and support. We look forward to maintaining our leading position in the satellite communications industry for decades to come.”
Under the terms of the Plan and with exit financing commitments already obtained, Intelsat is set to emerge as a private company, with the support of new equity owners, access to $7.875 billion in capital, and a significantly deleveraged balance sheet. The Company is well positioned to continue to reduce its debt upon receipt of $4.87 billion of accelerated relocation payments in connection with the C-band spectrum clearing project, with $1.2 billion of the total already approved by the Federal Communications Commission for anticipated receipt in January.
